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Using Greenfoot and a Moon Scenario to Teach Java Programming in CS1. Randy J. Gallant & Dr. Qusay Mahmoud ACMSE 2008. Outline. Problems Solutions Greenfoot Going to the Moon Project Demo Testing, Acceptance & Development Project Information Questions.
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Using Greenfoot and a Moon Scenario to Teach Java Programming in CS1 Randy J. Gallant & Dr. Qusay Mahmoud ACMSE 2008
Outline • Problems • Solutions • Greenfoot • Going to the Moon Project • Demo • Testing, Acceptance & Development • Project Information • Questions
Problems with Learning Programming • Learning programming is boring at first. • Hard to keep students attention. • Hours of endless coding before any displayable results.
Solutions • Make the programming environment more user friendly and entertaining. • Cater to the students enjoyment of electronic games to keep their attention. • Use graphics to show immediate visual results of a working program.
Introducing Greenfoot • Grid style world • Graphics • Movement • Sounds • Open source Java
Going to the Moon • 10 Labs • Used to learn the basic Java programming and Greenfoot skills. • Final Capstone Project • Used to test the acquired programming skills of the students.
Topics of the10 Labs • Lab 1 Exploring Greenfoot • Lab 2 Working with Existing Scenarios • Lab 3 Basic Space Travel • Lab 4 Add and Remove Objects • Lab 5 Grid Positioning & Fuel • Lab 6 Trip to the Moon • Lab 7 The Return Trip back to Earth • Lab 8 Creating Object Actors / Graphics • Lab 9 Sounds and Advanced Graphics • Lab 10 Keyboard Input
Project Demo • Demo Lab 6 • Lab 6 Instructions • Demo Final Capstone Project • Correct code • Incorrect code
Testing, Acceptance & Development • In current discussions with faculty at Humber to try using this project in coming semesters. • This project will be used by Dr. Mahmoud to teach Java to senior year high school students in a special project at the University of Guelph in April – June 2008. • I will be using this project to teach an introductory to Java programming course in September 2008 at Humber College. • “Going to the Moon” was demonstrated at ACM SIGCSE conference in Portland, on Greenfoot day in March 2008.
Project Information • Website for the Going to the Moon Project http://cmer.cis.uoguelph.ca/gotomoon/ • Website contains: • General & Contact Information • All 10 Lab Instructions • All 10 Unfinished Lab Scenario Codes • Capstone Project Instructions • Unfinished Capstone Project Scenario Code • Finished Scenarios available for Instructors by request only!
Thank You. Any questions? http://cmer.cis.uoguelph.ca/gotomoon/ Email: randy.gallant@humber.ca